Thick Smoke

Stuff Happens

Eliza left the girls' bathroom wondering who was Tom. Her mother's character seemed to have thickened even more, confusing Eliza.

"Tom, Tom, Tom, who are you Tom?" She asked herself walking to the dormitory while swaying her heels in one hand.

A few days later and Eliza was impossible to find alone. She was mostly with her friends or glued to Hermione. That was how they found themselves in the library, Krum sitting at a table with his classmates watching Eliza and Hermione studying.

"Don't you feel uncomfortable? Blimey, he's staring with everything he's got." Eliza mumbled feeling like Krum might as well move at their table and make it even worse.

"Why don't you tell me what were you doing with Malfoy?" She whispered, leaning curiously towards the brunette.

Eliza scoffed and quickly brushed Hermione off. That subject was gone and done with from the moment he called her Black. She didn't want to see him nor speak about him or anything regarding that prat.

"What about Harry? Has he figured that egg out?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Not yet but I'm sure he will."

Eliza nodded before glancing to Krum again. He was really awkward, or maybe it was because she was there and she was a complete stranger to him, but Viktor Krum was definitely not what Eliza imagined.

While moving her eyes around the library, she saw Cedric a few rows to her left, laughing about something with Cho. She tilted her head and remembered how much time they used to spend together in the library before the Triwizard Tournament.

"His popularity has definitely reached another level..." Eliza mumbled her eyes still fixed on Cedric.

"I thought you didn't like him either." Hermione said while keeping her eyes on the homework.

Eliza remembered briefly when Cedric messed with her, giving her the impression that he wanted to ask her to the ball.

"He said he wanted to invite me to the ball but thought I might go with Harry. I feel like I did something that didn't benefit me and Harry..." The brunette continued melancholy.

Hermione looked up at the green eyed witch and raised an eyebrow, "Are you jealous of Cho, then?"

Eliza's eyes widened and she shook her head furiously, "No! No. But I found out too late that Harry likes Cho."

"He had his chance to ask her and when he did it was too late. He should have been faster."

Hermione was right but it didn't make Eliza feel better.

"What about Krum?" Eliza asked in a hushed tone. "Where will this crush of his will lead you two?"

Hermione blushed, "Nowhere. He will leave at the end of the Tournament and we will never see each other again."

Eliza glanced back at the Durmstrang student and saw him staring straight at Hermione before looking down at his book.

"I wouldn't bet on that." She muttered before going back to work.

At dinner, right after she finished her pumpkin dessert, she got a letter from a mysterious person: I have the information you want. Let's meet in the dungeon tonight.

Sensing that it was a false alarm sent by a Slytherin -she already had a few ideas who- she brushed it off. However, while she was getting out of the Great Hall, Snape cornered her and dragged her with him into his office.

"What is this about?" She asked following her teacher.

Snape only glanced at her over his shoulder in that specific way of his, like he was doing it only because he was forced by circumstances.

"Is it about my little slip of silver in Seamus' antidote? In my defense, I thought it was Flint's cauldron and was expecting it to turn dark purple and get him unconscious for a bit," She gave herself out knowing that Snape probably already knew.

The teacher rolled his eyes and opened the doors to his office.

"It has been brought to my attention that you have been waving your hands in front of Mr Malfoy and Mr Crabbe. I thought I made myself clear when I told you not to expose yourself." He said sounding quite mad.

"It happened," She explained, "It happened." The brunette repeated, her eyes widening slightly with innocence.

"He instructed a house elf to bring him information about Ophelia. Fortunately, I intercepted it and gave him irrelevant information." He started, glowering at the brunette with malicious eyes.

"So Molley wasn't a muggle family and my mother wasn't adopted?" Eliza asked slowly scanning Snape's face.

"I didn't give him false information. I only retained her years during and after Hogwarts. Mr Malfoy is not an idiot and would have noticed the discrepancies in the file." He stated calmly as he walked around his desk and sat, his eyes looking at Eliza like he was on a pedestal.

"But he knew about Ophelia and Sirius' relationship. He told me that at the ball and he was quite assured of what he was babbling about."

The professor seemed genuinely surprised which instantly made Eliza panic in her head. Malfoy found out about her parents by mere coincidence and he wasn't going to divulge her secret but she couldn't depend on that idea. Draco was swimming in rough waters and if he was going to drown, he was going to take her down with him.

"I will have to talk to him about that." Snape mumbled, moving his hands around, looking for some kind of papers.

"By the way, have you professor sent me a letter to meet you in the dungeons?" She asked.

Snape grunted and shifted his full attention on the papers, subtly forcing her to leave.

Eliza sighed and walked around for an hour before she realized whoever set the trap wasn't a very patient person and left already.

Eliza couldn't sleep and ended up on the Wood Bridge again. The wind was blowing softly announcing the upcoming spring and she couldn't wait for the tournament to be over and get home to Remus and Sirius.

Eliza closed her eyes and leaned her head back while holding the railing tightly. That year has been uncontrollable and not because her magic was getting out of hand. She found herself between a boy who was barging into her family life and a boy whose name was making her tremble. When Eliza opened her eyes she got taken aback by the ex-auror Moody. She jumped slightly, feeling a mix of feelings just by his presence.

"Listen Molley, last time I might have crossed the line." He started in that hurried way of his.

She scoffed and took one step away from him, just in case.

"Bullocks, you enjoyed it!" She firmly accused him, sneering at the professor. "You are a psychopath; enjoying the pain and fear inflicted on others, that is not normal." She continued, scowling at him from the side.

Instead of feeling offended, he started to laugh loudly, "Your mother said that before. I believe she called me a sadistic murderer," He trailed, remembering the old times. "Well, I am here and she is gone. Her death was an unfortunate event, she was an important asset." He started to ramble on his own, of course getting a quick drink along from his hip-flask.

Eliza tilted her head to the side and grasped the railing tighter, "What is it that you drink so often?"

"Juice." Moody responded right away, making her roll her eyes but he started to laugh again. "The second task is right around the corner. You should go rest for the big event. I'm sure Potter won't have any troubles finishing this one triumphantly as well." He chuckled before starting to make his way back in the castle.

Eliza stood there, watching him from behind expecting him to spontaneously vanish like he was a ghost. Nothing happened.

It was the silence before the storm and in the distance, she could see it, feel it. The inexplicable was coming, the haze that no one could fight against.